Venezuelan oil tankers break US maritime blockade after Maduro’s capture, says newspaper

Trump says that a new military operation, against Colombia, ‘sounds good’ After the United States offensive against Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, more than 10 oil tankers broke the US maritime blockade to “escape” from Venezuela, according to the American newspaper “The New York Times”. 🔴LIVE: Follow the latest news in real time ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The newspaper revealed this Monday (5) that at least 16 oil tankers targeted by US sanctions left Venezuelan waters in a coordinated movement to try to break the naval blockade imposed by the US government on Venezuelan oil. The blockade remains in place even after Maduro’s capture, reaffirmed the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, at the weekend. The maritime monitoring website “TankerTrackers” confirmed the movement and said that around 12 vessels loaded with oil broke the US blockade by leaving Venezuelan waters in “dark mode”. The movement comes after the capture of Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an operation by US forces that reached Caracas in the early hours of last Saturday (3). ‘Oil quarantine’ The American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated on Sunday (4) that the United States will not have a direct role in the day-to-day government of Venezuela and will limit itself to imposing an already existing “oil quarantine” on the country. The statement represents a different tone from that adopted by Trump, who stated, a day earlier, that the US would start to “manage” Venezuela on an interim basis after the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro. In an interview with the Face the Nation program, on American TV “CBS”, Rubio adopted a more cautious tone when stating that the US will continue to apply the oil quarantine – a measure that was already in force on sanctioned tankers before Maduro was removed from power in the early hours of Saturday. According to the Secretary of State, the measure will be used as an instrument of pressure to promote policy changes in Venezuela. “This is the type of control the president is referring to when he says this,” he said. “We maintain this quarantine and hope to see changes, not only in the way the oil industry is managed for the benefit of the population, but also to stop drug trafficking,” he added. Interim government With Maduro’s deposition, vice-president Delcy Rodríguez assumed the role of interim president of Venezuela. The decision to keep her as a replacement was taken by the country’s Supreme Court of Justice shortly after Maduro was removed from power by the United States. According to the text of the decision, she assumes the position to “guarantee administrative continuity and the integral defense of the Nation”. In addition to the Supreme Court’s decision, the Venezuelan Armed Forces recognized Rodríguez as interim president of the country this Sunday. The Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino, endorsed on national television the determination to keep her in power for 90 days. Donald Trump said this Sunday that the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro, while also dealing with the new interim leadership in Caracas. “We are dealing with people who have just taken office. Don’t ask me who is in charge, because I would give an answer and that would be very controversial,” the Republican told reporters this evening, when asked if he had spoken to Delcy Rodríguez. Pressed to explain what he meant, Trump said: “That means we are in charge.” Maduro detained in New York The President of the United States, Donald Trump, releases a photo of Nicolás Maduro after capturing the Venezuelan leader on January 4, 2026 Reproduction The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, arrived at the detention center in New York late Saturday night (3), after being captured by United States authorities. The arrest took place during the early hours of the morning in Caracas, according to the American government. Maduro was taken into custody at the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office, where he was booked. An official White House profile on X released images of the Venezuelan escorted by agents. At a press conference, President Donald Trump said he was evaluating the next steps for the South American country. He also stated that the US intends to lead the country through a “group” that is being formed until a transition of power, without detailing deadlines or how this arrangement would work. Also this Saturday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro will be tried by American justice in a New York court. According to Bondi, the Venezuelan leader and the first lady, Cilia Flores — also detained by American authorities — were formally accused of the following crimes: UN meeting and Maduro in court Nicolás Maduro awaits custody hearing in New York The UN Security Council, made up of 15 members, is due to meet this Monday (5), at around 12pm (Brasília time), to discuss the legality of the capture of the president of Venezuela. Taken to American soil, where he is being held, the Venezuelan must appear before a New York judge this Monday, at 2 pm (Brasília time), according to a statement from the Manhattan Federal District Court. The first hearing in which Maduro will be formally presented to US Justice, on drug trafficking charges, will be before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. His wife, Cilia Flores, who was also captured during the operation, is expected to appear in court with her husband. Trump boards AirForce 1 to return to Washington on Sunday night (4) Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

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